Most often broken piece of brewing equipment

[Stratotankard]

I went with autosiphon. I'm on my 3rd on in a year. One was my fault. Trying to chill beer on the way to the fermenter, I forgot that plastic doesn't like near boiling beer and turned my first on into a nifty piece of modern art. The second one had the little bobber valve dealie pop out and would not hold a siphon after that. Fingers crossed for number 3.


Terje

 

[jspence1]

put me down for a carboy, hydrometer, and a rubbermaid cooler. I've also lost about 10000000 #3 stoppers I keep buying for the BMBF and losing before I use them.

 

[Rhoobarb]

I voted for thermometers, too. After 11 years of solid service I broke my hydrometer a couple weeks ago and had to replace it. But thermometers, particularly the probes, get water in them. I have to dry them out in the oven and they're back to normal, but it's a PITA. I plan to get a Thermapen someday.

 

[Munsoned]

I must be doing something wrong. I can't think of anything I've ever broken. Perhaps the memory is just escaping me... In any event, I didn't vote in the poll so as to not throw off the results.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

I've broken one Hydrometer and two airlocks, so airlocks won out. Plus they have a really friggin irritating habit of disappearing on me. Seriously, I ought to buy a whole forking case of them and keep them in my closet.

I broke the cheap plastic cover to a regulator gauge too... Dunno what I'm gonna do about that.

 

[MNBugeater]

I must be missing something on the whole auto-siphon as a potential breakable piece of equipment. I bought one years ago and it works great and i dont have to 'learn proper siphoning techniques'. Can I siphon if need be? Sure it isnt difficult, but its a hell of a lot easier to sanitize the auto-siphon stick it in the carboy and it works. I don't need a proper technique.

That being said..what exactly breaks on them? Its all plastic and is virtually indestructible. Are you guys using them as roofing hammers or something?

 

[passedpawn]

I had a carboy shatter in my pool. I learned my lesson about hot wort, glass, and cold pools. I also learned a lot about horrific algae blooms in a Florida pool after 6 gallons of hefe wort is dumped into one of them.

BTW, I would appreciate it if no one tells my wife about this.

 

[IanP]

I had a carboy shatter in my pool. I learned my lesson about hot wort, glass, and cold pools. I also learned a lot about horrific algae blooms in a Florida pool after 6 gallons of hefe wort is dumped into one of them.

BTW, I would appreciate it if no one tells my wife about this.

Outstanding. What other hobby would teach so much about horrific algae blooms? :rockin:

 

[springer]

broke one thing the Hydrometer... in all truth with this hobby the thing that is broke the most is me.

 

[carnevoodoo]

I must be missing something on the whole auto-siphon as a potential breakable piece of equipment. I bought one years ago and it works great and i dont have to 'learn proper siphoning techniques'. Can I siphon if need be? Sure it isnt difficult, but its a hell of a lot easier to sanitize the auto-siphon stick it in the carboy and it works. I don't need a proper technique.

That being said..what exactly breaks on them? Its all plastic and is virtually indestructible. Are you guys using them as roofing hammers or something?

I've had the rubber piece at the end of the cane break off. I've snapped the cane at the bend (that one was totally my fault). They're just not that sturdy. I will never break my stainless racking cane, so I will just use that.

 

[Thumper]

I have gone thru one hydrometer and one therometer. I voted for hydrometer as IMO they are more fragile.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

'Broken' might not be the right word but I def have gone through more thermometers than anything. But I'm still on my orig hydrometer, carboys, etc. I doubt I'll use my autosiphons enough to break them since I've gone back to the ole SS racking cane. All-in-all (i.e. once you consider all the cleaning/sanitizing/etc.)...I just find the cane easier to use overall (and it def ain't breakin').

 

[remilard]

I'm weird.

2 hydrometer jars
0 hydrometers

1 floating thermometer (replaced with probe type, harder to break)
2 racking canes (replaced with stainless)

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

1 hydrometer, 2 test jars, 2 thermometers, and 4 racking canes.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I broke a glass thermometer and a glass carboy. The thermometer was difficult to use anyway, since I had to hold it while taking a reading. I bought a metal dial thermometer, and I don't see that one breaking. The carboy I broke is discussed in this thread, so eventually, I'll be upgrading to a SS conical fermenter.

Auto-syphons, racking cranes, and anything else plastic are a little harder to break, but it is possible. I had the end of my thief come off, but I think it was the glue that failed and not the plastic.

I voted for carboys, since that is my most recent thing to break.

 

[LandofOZ]

Oh hell im the one most usually broke after making beer with all thath
RDWHAB by the time the nights over any excuse to RDWHAB is what its all about

 

[passedpawn]

... I bought a metal dial thermometer, and I don't see that one breaking. ...

I broke one. The needle in the dial fell off and just bounced around in mine - so, they do break. BTW, I tore off the whole dial and superglued a long thermocouple into the metal spike part. The thermocouple plugs into a Fluke temp meter. Works great again.

 

[Mutilated1]

Autosiphon is the only thing I've broken other than a beer bottle or two. I've broken 2-3 of them in my days in this hobby.

 

[Ksosh]

I mistakenly used an 'oven' thermometer (the kind with the corded probe) in a batch of wort. Apparently those suckers don't like getting wet past the stainless steel probe part of it. Now it reads ~120 degrees F at room temperature

 

[Homercidal]

I melted an autosiphon once and I got a digital thermometer wet once. Both were preventable and my fault. The thermometer got trashed. I used the leftover it of the autosiphon as a racking cane.

Same hydrometer I bought 20 years ago. (crosses fingers).

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I voted Hydrometer and just as I suspected, it's in the lead. I swear that if you breathe on one of those things the wrong way that they shatter.

 

[Hegh]

I mistakenly used an 'oven' thermometer (the kind with the corded probe) in a batch of wort. Apparently those suckers don't like getting wet past the stainless steel probe part of it. Now it reads ~120 degrees F at room temperature

Stick it in a 350* oven for 30 minutes, it'll be fine. (Leave the plug hanging out, but the rest goes in the oven)

 

[DJBod129]

The only piece of equipment I've broken so far (~10 full size batches) is an auto siphon.

 

[Brewin_CRAZY]

No way I will ever buy a floating glass thermometer, I break those damn things so too much. If I do a 5 gallon batch, my hot liquor tank only has like 6 inches of water in it, if you drop the thermometer even an inch, shatter. Then you have to dump the water and reheat it... arg. I just welded in an exterior thermometer into the tank, now I dont have to worry about it! Thermocouple and PID temperature controller all the way!

 

[Zenman]

I chose other because the only thing i break is hearts...

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Ok the real reason is the only item i have broken is the sample tube you put your wort sample into for a hydro reading, slipped outta my hand during clean up. Have not bothered getting another one yet... i just sanatize my hydro and put it in main fermentor (i only use my carboy for apfelwine anymore, so is easy to use in my other 2 buckets) then seal it up for 3 weeks and take gravity after 3 weeks. Maybe I am to trusting of the yeasties to do their job, but it works for me. Hope I didn't just jinx myself...

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Anything SWIMBI touches breaks.

 

[Makeyermark]

I wonder if there is somewhere I can buy a gross of Hyrdometers at reduced cost...

 

[niquejim]

Where's the "You are clumsy Mother ****ers option". I'll be 3 years at this in 2 weeks and I've broken NOTHING.

Maybe it's because I've worked in the food service industry for 25 years and I am just used to using caution around breakable objects

 

[jgln]

I mistakenly used an 'oven' thermometer (the kind with the corded probe) in a batch of wort. Apparently those suckers don't like getting wet past the stainless steel probe part of it. Now it reads ~120 degrees F at room temperature

Do you feel warm?

 

[ZBrewMan]

That being said..what exactly breaks on them? Its all plastic and is virtually indestructible. Are you guys using them as roofing hammers or something?

We're not supposed to??